Odds are, LeBron James' Big 3 stays together with Heat

It all starts with the Miami Heat. And depending on how things unfold, the dreams of so many rival franchises may end there too.

That's the deceiving part about the Tuesday tip-off to free agency, this foolhardy notion that every scenario seriously is in play and that LeBron James may be headed your favorite team's way to save the day. The NBA's best player is considering his options, to be sure, but his decision to opt out of his contract had as much to do with pragmatic planning to stay put as it did the idea that he would be heading elsewhere. And with the subsequent revelations that the other two members of the Heat's Big 3, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, also would be opting out of their contracts, the odds that the team which had its three-peat pursuit halted by the San Antonio Spurs would be back in full force got exponentially better.

The Wade component is more pivotal than the rest, as the 32-year-old willingly gave up the chance to earn a combined $41.8 million in the next two seasons at a time when his abilities have never been more questioned around the league. It's the sort of sacrifice that is wholly necessary if Heat President Pat Riley is going to work his magic again like he did back in the summer of 2010, not to mention one that it's hard imagining Wade making if he were convinced that James was heading for the exits.

In these final days, where team officials outside of Miami aren't yet allowed to make their formal pitches to the Heat's soon-to-be free agents, you can sense Riley's gravitas pulling them all in like a gravitational force. His ability to trade up in the draft to land James' favorite prospect, former Connecticut point guard Shabazz Napier, was a perfectly-timed reminder that he's as good at the personnel puzzle as anyone. A more subtle version of the same message was sent when veteran forward Udonis Haslem left $4.6 million on the table by opting out and gave Riley an almost-blank canvas with which to work.

With the salary cap expected to be $63.2 million and the luxury tax threshold estimated around $77 million, the Heat will enter free agency with just $1.4 million on their books (point guard Norris Cole). That kind of flexibility is what the Heat rivals were afraid of going up against.

Still, the question from midnight ET Tuesday forth is whether any of the non-Miami pitches — from the Houston Rockets, Cleveland Cavaliers, Chicago Bulls, Los Angeles Lakers and all the rest — will be enticing enough to lure James away. Even with the Heat's early success in restructuring their roster, the prospect of James leaving remains very real.

James will not be present in the initial meetings with teams that are recruiting him, a person with knowledge of his situation told USA TODAY Sports. Instead, his agent, Rich Paul of Klutch Sports will handle the conversations before James decides how to proceed. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the private nature of the process.

The depth of James' desire to play with Carmelo Anthony also remains a key factor, as they are known to be very interested in finding a way to partner and several teams (among them the Heat, Rockets and the Lakers) have been including this component in their strategic approach. Anthony has informed the New York Knicks that he will be opting out of his contract and becoming an unrestricted free agent as well.

USA TODAY Sports' Sam Amick explains why it's good right now to be LeBron James after he opted out of his contract with the Heat.

Which brings us to ...

'MELO MANIA

As Plan B's go, this is a pretty good one. The 30-year-old who forced his way from the Denver Nuggets to the Knicks in 2011 is looking around again, and the combination of his thirst to win a championship and his still-intact talents is more than enough to prompt a "'Melo-drama, Part II."

The Bulls have been planning on ways to add Anthony for quite some time, having traded small forward Luol Deng to the Cleveland Cavaliers in early January and then surprising many executives when the expected roster fire sale never came. In a way, they were merely making room for Anthony while holding onto the remaining talent and scheming for the day when former MVP point guard Derrick Rose would return from his devastating knee injury (again) and join forces with the seven-time All-Star. One major move would need to take place for this to happen, though: Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf would have to pay forward Carlos Boozer the $16.8 million he's owed to go away (by way of the league's amnesty clause) to free up the sort of salary cap space necessary to add Anthony. The Bulls also may need to trade a player (likely swingman Mike Dunleavy and his expiring contract) as well.

The Rockets are also planning on a hard charge for Anthony if James doesn't go their way, and there are scenarios in which both players could join Dwight Howard (if the Knicks agreed to a sign-and-trade involving Rockets shooting guard James Harden). The Dallas Mavericks have Anthony on their mind as well, as they recently traded with the Knicks for Tyson Chandler and Raymond Felton and are planning a pitch to also join Anthony with Dirk Nowitzki (who is also a free agent but who has said he will re-sign) and Monta Ellis.

Last but not least, the Lakers are hoping that Anthony and James take it upon themselves to rebuilding the flailing franchise in its time of need by heading out West to join Kobe Bryant. The Lakers have only Bryant, point guard Steve Nash and center Robert Sacre on the payroll for next season, meaning they could find a way to squeeze both stars under their salary cap (likely with a trade of Nash). They have the allure of a coaching vacancy, as well, having held off on selecting a replacement for Mike D'Antoni after his May 1 exit in large part because of this fluid free agency.

The Knicks certainly can't be discounted here, though, especially with new President Phil Jackson pushing for change on all fronts and the personal component likely coming into play for Anthony. He said in an early June interview with Vice that his family will factor into his decision. Wife La La and 7-year-old son Kiyan are known to be happy in New York City. Yet while the acquisition of Jose Calderon in the deal with the Mavericks certainly upgrades the point guard position, staying in New York will require the kind of patience Anthony may no longer have after missing the playoffs for the first time in his career last season (when the Knicks were 37-45).